A Little Too Late
by Rubedo the Crystal Blood
Summary: Naruto has had enough of waiting. Is Sakura's confession too late? Witness the stunning romantic bout between these two characters, and look for the rest of the "Another Chance" series.
1. Prologue: The Beginning And

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the content following this statement. All titles, names, and plots are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning**: The following may contain material that some viewers may not find suitable.

* * *

_Act I...  
The Beginning And..._

* * *

It was dark, and eerily silent. Even if the fire _had_ gone out, of which it had been Naruto's responsibility to maintain, she would have at least heard his fatigued snoring. Sakura sat up and looked around. To her surprise, the fire was indeed alight, though low. So where was Naruto? She looked around the campsite, finding herself alone. As though to rebuke her for suspecting irresponsibility on his behalf, she also observed small pieces of fresh firewood, as though they had only just been put in. Even now, the warmth was growing with the rising of the flames.

She felt very foolish now for having been quick to judge Naruto. It stemmed, perhaps, from her older memories of him. It had, after all, been over two years since she had last seen him. Old habits didn't necessarily stay as such, though. Now that left the question of where he was. If there was fresh firewood burning at the base, he had to have just left as she awoke. Thinking about it now, maybe it had been his leaving that had roused her in the first place.

"Naruto?" she called softly, in the hopes that the boy might merely be off doing certain business. In the silence, a gentle breeze played across her face, bringing with it the sound of running water. Sakura swallowed, her throat now very dry. She stood up and began to walk towards the river, which was not very far off. She remained alert, waiting for the slightest sign of an enemy ambush.

It wasn't out of the ordinary for Naruto to wander very far. Yet, judging from the amount of wood he had pushed, and the fact that he had arranged for it to burn slowly, he must have had somewhere to be at the time, all the way out here in the middle of a great forest. Maybe he had seen some interesting rock, she thought derisively, stifling the urge to laugh.

But no. She sighed, straightening her face. He wasn't like that any more. Naruto was more reliable now. He had grown up, even if he was a just a little bit... childish. But she liked that about him. Even when things were tough, when he, of all people, ought to have been the saddest, he always had a smile on, as though ready to solve the unsolvable riddle, or overcome the impossible barrier.

It was hard to admit, but if it hadn't been for Naruto, maybe she and her other comrades would have failed to get past some of their greater obstacles. Without his uplifting personality, solutions to seemingly impossible tasks became very abundant. And he was, after all, a rising shinobi in his own right.

Still, it was always increasingly difficult to live with him. That personality, that way he had of carrying himself, only served well during times of hardship. At more social appearances, they were simply annoying. Her brow knitted together as she tried to recall every embarrassing situation he had gotten them into over the years. It was laughable now, but she always had to hope that he wouldn't do anything of the sort at his present age.

And then there was the matter of his actual maturity. When it came to things like love and romance, Naruto was just too inexperienced, not to mention perverted, though she did spare some spite towards Jiraiya-sensei. What did Hinata see in Naruto that she did not?

Thinking of Hinata now suddenly made her feel very cold. Sakura's fist tightened and relaxed involuntarily, and dark thoughts clouded her emotions. If she could describe the raw sensation, it was an oracle that told her that she didn't want Naruto and Hinata together. She knew that much, and little more beyond that.

"N-Naruto...?"

His silhouette had caught her by surprise. He turned around for a moment to verify who it was, and then continued staring at the water's edge. "Did the fire go out?" he asked gently. She blinked and looked back at the little light flickering through the vegetation and shook her head.

"No, I just thought I'd get a drink, and maybe see where you'd gone off to..."

He shrugged and stood up. "Well, now you know where I am," he murmured as he rummaged through his pouch. Forth from it he produced a tiny gourd and offered it to her. "Here, I boiled this. It's clean." She took it from him and stared dubiously. Something about his behavior wasn't right. He was being too nice.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, hoping to get an explanatory response. His short reply was,

"...thinking."

She tilted her head slightly, biting her tongue anxiously. "About...?"

He glanced at her irately before looking away. "_Things_..." Something sharp within his voice emphasized a certain sense of finality, as though he wished not to discuss it further. Yet Sakura refused to allow the subject to drop like this. She, at least, didn't deserve anything resembling impatience from him.

Sakura, trying not to lose her temper, replied, "_Things_ like what?" She too, inserted a commanding undertone, though not nearly as imposing as Naruto's had been. She immediately regretted having pressed the issue, for Naruto swung around suddenly and glared her down.

"_Things_ like Sasuke! _Things_ like Orochimaru! _Things_ like how I'm going to bring him back! All _things_ you've been thinking about from the moment we left! Why ask me what _things_ I'm thinking?! You know perfectly well what sort of _things_ I'm thinking about!"

Sakura Haruno had not been expecting a sudden outburst like this. She bit her lip indignantly and yelled, "Well then why are you taking it out on me?! Shouldn't be Orochimaru you get angry at?! He's the one who took Sasuke away!" But Naruto folded his arms and gave a grunt that clearly indicated he knew something which she did not.

"You're assuming I'm concerned about his well being. And I am, but your reaction just proves everything..."

The former of his statement had, in fact been correct. Her ego quickly deflating, she shot daggers from her eyes. "Proves what?! That I don't care about Sasuke as much as you do?!"

At this point, Naruto flew into an angry rage. Clenching his fist together and meeting her gaze head-on he yelled, "It proves that you care about Sasuke _more_ than you care about me!" She blinked, the coldness in her chest intensifying until it seared her insides, cracking like ice. She had clearly not been expecting this at all. Naruto stared at her for a long time, during the course of which she felt just how dry her throat actually was. She would have liked nothing more than to get her drink of water and return to the campsite as though none of this had occurred. But she was afraid to break his gaze.

Slowly, gradually, his hardened, piercing gaze melted. What replaced it was no better, worse actually, as it struck pangs of pain in her heart. Finally, it seemed he could look at her no more, and he turned back to the river and began watching the water's edge vacantly.

So he was thinking about her... She digested this slowly, almost relishing in the feeling. He was thinking about her, and about what she wanted, and about what sort of things she felt. The ice melted away while an inner fire lit up. It spread, wetting the dry, frozen caverns and turning them into a gushing, boiling pot.

Naruto was in love with her. She had known this for a very long time. But it had seemed so unlikely that this infatuation, or obsession, or attraction, whatever it was, would last beyond a year, let alone two. She had never considered for a moment his own feelings about this. It went beyond memories, for she knew that she was somehow indebted to him. Not one thought had been devoted to this unwritten fact, and now here he was, cold and alone.

Now the pot simmered and steamed, its lid clanging up and down as jets of scalding water burst out. Her heart was racing. She felt suddenly calm, even though adrenaline and noradrenalin poured into her system like glory, glory, glory.

Slowly, Sakura touched his shoulder, a gentle, soothing smile spreading over her face. He jerked abruptly, but remained still, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. "I... had no idea," she confessed feebly. He shrugged,

"Guess you should have payed a little more attention," was his icy reply. Sakura began holding him in various places, hugging him, embracing him, trying to melt away the loneliness in his heart. Whatever was there, she wanted it now. Nothing seemed more clear than this.

Maybe she had been hiding it from herself all this time. Something before had stopped her from realizing how much she cared about Naruto. And she certainly did. He was a close friend, a loyal ally, and a trustworthy acquaintance. There was no doubt about any of these things. But as a man, her a woman, she had never thought of it, or at least, had pretended not to. Maybe there was a chance, she thought. They had time to work it out.

"Stop it..." he said, pushing her away as she brushed her lips against his cheek. Sakura stared, confused. She was already panting, but he was trying hard not to look at her. She tried to kiss him again, but he shook her away violently. "I said stop!" Sakura fell to the ground in the midst of her hormonal awakening, looking up at him vulnerably. Her eyes began to water.

"Naruto?" she called again, her voice a whimper of urgent desire.

Naruto stepped back, turning around again. They remained still for the span of several minutes. Finally he took one last look at her and said wistfully, "It's a little bit late for that... Sakura..."

Hearing him say her name with such tenderness melted her insides. But knowing how much pain lay behind those words spurned her. She stared in shock and disbelief, her mind maintaining the afterimage of his fake smile, hours after he had darted back into the forest in search of solitude. She, having delved herself in this strange sensation, now felt empty echoes of some monstrous cry. Her eyes, red from crying, hurt. Her chest, sore from sobbing, ached. Eventually, in the light of the early sunrise, she fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Epilogue: The End

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the content following this statement. All titles, names, and plots are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning**: The following may contain material that some viewers may not find suitable.

* * *

_Epilogue...  
...The End_

* * *

Sakura awoke from her slumber as though rising from some ethereal dream. She looked about unsteadily, her head swaying from side to side as the blood rushed out of it, and then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Had that really been a dream? It had seemed so real, so lifelike, that she doubted she could possibly have imagined it up. But really, a scenario in which she fell in love with Naruto? What was more, that Naruto had actually rejected her?

It seemed highly unlikely, but all the same the sensation that ran down her spine unnerved her. She struggled to remember where she was. The past few days had been such a blur compared to that highly realistic phantasm. Right, she had a mission to do. Naruto was probably already awake, likely eating his way out of the inn they had stayed at last night. She would greet him as normally as possible, have breakfast, and then, if necessary, drag him over to the nearby shrine where they would meet other ninja.

But Naruto was not in the dining hall when she arrived. Sakura blinked, looking around. Surely _this_ had to be some figment of imagination as well. It was impossible to think that Naruto could have decided to pass such an opportunity—for the kitchens had been advertised as a selling point by their ramen—by on a mere whim.

Muttering to herself, Sakura decided that he must have heard of some other restaurant, or maybe had eaten very early in the morning. It was now nine thirty in the morning, and it wasn't entirely out of the ordinary for one to desire an earlier meal. In fact, she was sure of it now, as it was so characteristic of the boy. She almost laughed aloud at the though, but held herself, the dream still fresh in her mind.

As she yawned, she noted how heavily the air smelled of alcohol, and realized that Naruto himself had not been particularly fond of alcohol, not that he had mentioned it—but she had never seen him drink it before, so the assumption was very natural. It was yet another possible explanation for why Naruto had avoided eating here.

Slightly less troubled than she had been moments before, Sakura departed the inn, leaving a rather sleepy desk clerk with the payment for a one night stay; Naruto had paid his bill early on. Striding out comfortably into the warm sun, she inhaled a lungful of fresh air and detected the slightest traces of grass. She smiled at a young man walking by, handing out gazettes, and walked along towards the tallest building in the village, the shrine, clutching a freshly printed and purchased bundle of papers and flicking through various articles of varied importance.

There were many columns about politics, most of them rabble about this undersecretary or that junior department head, all rather uninteresting. She spent several minutes fleshing out a piece on the state of affairs related to the overall economy, in which she observed an interesting tidbit about how the Raikage was plotting to manipulate foreign affairs to allow a leak of unchecked money to flow into the country. As bland as it was, she somehow found that amusing.

It was, however, on that realization that she felt a sudden melancholy wash over her. She was growing up and becoming an adult, which was fine, except that she could no longer laugh and have fun as she had done when she had been much younger. Slipping away from adolescence and into womanhood meant that she would have to make far more considerations about her future than ever before. It was not comforting, for the thought of who she might marry, or about children she might one day have. What if she never even lived to get to that point?

A voice in the back of her head whispered softly. _But you're there. The answer has been in front of you the whole time._ What did that mean? She tossed the paper away, having solved the "Unsolvable Word Cross" mentally in a matter of minutes, now preoccupied with that voice or, rather, the sub-conscience.

But the voice did not speak again, as though telling her that she had just missed the chance of a lifetime. Sakura scratched her head, shrugging her shoulders as she passed the monks who stood guard at the entrance. They bowed rigidly and did not look at her. She smirked and entered the great building, looking up at the statue of a god, surrounded by smaller statues of the previous kages of the region.

"Haruno, you're here." From up above Neji Hyuga, a brown-haired, gray-eyed shinobi landed sharply on the floor in front of her. She blinked, recognizing the graceless efficiency, and waved politely. "We're all in the upper atrium. Follow me: the stairways are designed so that only one who already knows the way can make it up. It's a security measure."

Sakura nodded and followed her former teammate up the first set of stairs. Indeed, from the moment she had traversed the first wooden step, she sensed an extremely powerful genjutsu overcome her. She could have tried to overcome it, but concluded from Neji's previous statement that attempting to do so would not only have been impossible, but overtly foolish. The stairway had a twisted sense of depth, as though it went spiraling forever. Yet Neji made a right turn, straight into the paper walls, and vanished behind a strange veil. He had glanced at her warningly beforehand, and she followed him, finding herself unobstructed.

"What would have happened had I kept on going?" she asked, curious to know the effects of the genjutsu, as a strange maze conjured itself before them.

Neji shrugged, examining the walls as though an arrangement different from the one she herself saw existed, his eyes darting to different locations that did not match up with the actual structure. "You would have encountered a teleportation point and been warped seamlessly back to the beginning of the stairs. The exit also seals itself off once you pass, so attempting to go back would lead to a dead end." Then he added quickly, "It's a jutsu left in honor of the different kages, an additional level added for each one appointed. The shrine god is said to power the spell. Here, up this passageway."

She looked, but saw only another staircase leading down. Neji appeared to walk down in, and she noticed that indeed, the staircase was actually solid. Suddenly, she felt as though she were floating, and abruptly noticed that her surroundings were now different.

One other ninja was present in the room. Neji looked at him and asked, "Where did Hinata go?" The anonymous shinobu shrugged and pointed towards the exit.

"She followed the odd one outside. When do we get this over with?"

"Patience," he reminded rather hypocritically, for his own voice contained a small amount of eagerness, as though he too felt all too willing to get this mission behind him. "The delegates ought to be here soon enough. Meanwhile," he turned again to Sakura, "we have been provided food and drink for the duration of our stay. Feel free to eat something, as I've no idea how long the meeting may last. Oh, and..." He seemed to have difficulty drawing together his willpower, but murmured uncomfortably, "It's good to see you again..."

* * *

For several hours they sat, until the sun was setting slowly in the sky, which had turned a darker shade of orange on the hour every hour since her arrival. Sakura, who had not had breakfast, found that after two meals on raw seafood and rice was rather bland, and did not look forward to having dinner here.

As though sensing her desire to step out, Neji, who had set out to find Hinata to no avail, spoke again, breaking an unannounced consensus towards absolute silence. "Why don't you go out and find Naruto and Hinata," he suggested, a grimace and bemused smile spreading simultaneously over his normally straight face. Sakura, who had been for an excuse to leave, nodded conservatively and stood up, setting for the exit, which had been plainly marked as though for comical effect.

"Hang on," the anonymous ninja, whom she now knew to be a jonin by the name of Ohira Tsukudame, raised up a hand, clutching an oddly shaped copper coin. "Take this with you," he ordered, glancing at Neji, who nodded in agreement. "It's a specialty of mine. In areas where instantaneous communication is difficult, I give these to my allies. They're special coins that have been made to look utterly worthless, disguising the fact that they're a well designed means of talking to others."

"Just hold it up to your ear and talk. The less it appears that you are doing so, the less likely anyone will know. It will only pick up the voice of the wielder, and will only be heard by the holder," Neji supplemented.

Sakura caught the coin as Ohira tossed it to her. Then she stepped through the exit and found herself standing behind the shrine, in a great courtyard that led away from the building. The tall vines and beautiful flower gardens all rocked in the gentle breeze, which blew through the large arches that represented the exit.

She began to walk, her footsteps the only ones in this vast and largely uninhabited space of decor. It was then that she heard voices, and looked around. Very slowly, a mental image of two human shaped forms appeared in her mind. The sound was coming from the same direction, northwest, far to the left and closer to the shrine. Sakura approached quietly. Though she was looking for Naruto and Hinata—and there was a strange sensation of coldness as she thought of this—it never hurt to show a little caution.

"Hinata, that's... too hard." The voice sounded strained. Sakura slowly peered around a large cherry blossom tree, staring at the two dark silhouettes entangled beneath the thick leaves of an oak tree.

Hinata, as the unidentified girl had been called, pulled away a little bit and tilted her head downwards. "S-sorry," she stuttered. "I'm really nervous... I've never, umm—w-well..." The other figure chuckled and leaned forward.

"It's alright," he murmured, "just relax..." Hinata gasped and began squirming.

"W-wait, that's—UNGHAH! Ah...! Oh..." She slumped forward, writhing with pleasure. "Naruto," she whimpered aloud, yanking his hair.

Sakura covered her mouth, stifling the cry. She watched Naruto Uzumaki, eyes glazed, stroke Hinata Hyuga tenderly down the neck and back. The latter cringed, parting her legs slightly as she jumped against his body. Groans of pleasure and gasps of delight followed one another intermittently and with no logical pattern. Hinata smiled weakly and began to nibble Naruto's neck, while he continued to suckle her earlobe affectionately.

"Mmm... that's a lot better," he commented, closing her eyes as she did so. Hinata, already pink, turned red.

"I always," she started, gagging halfway through, "—always thought you'd never noticed m-m-me..." Hinata quivered, Naruto working his teeth up and down her ear. "Y-you surprised me—UFUGH... t-today," she admitted, tilting her head, allowing him to mark her neck.

"Well," he replied, pausing to lick up the drops of sweat that were continually forming across the expanse of Hinata's body, "I guess I was a little scared."

She looked away as he pulled back to admire her, snuggling up against him rather boldly, and asked, between passionate kisses, "What made you confront me today?" He shrugged, biting her lip and sucking on it, grunting as she rubbed her tongue against his. "I think," she whispered, "I think I'm going to faint again..." Naruto chuckled, looking rather pleased with himself. Hinata, on the contrary, turned a strong shade of scarlet.

"W-what if... someone—Neji," she added, glacing around nervously, "catches us here?"

Naruto merely showed his bitten and bruised neck, and rubbed his nose against those marks he had left on her, replying simply, "It's a little bit late for that... Hinata..." She swallowed hard, shrugged, and bit him hard one last time, shuddering amidst his excited pants of pain, before backing away completely, staggering on her feet.

Naruto caught her after stabilizing himself, wiping his chin and smiling impishly. "You need a little practice, though, Hinata." She found herself blushing hard at this, and shied away when he tried to hug her, though she let him rest his chin between her shoulders, as they walked in through a previously unseen entrance back into the shrine.

Sakura had dropped the coin she had instinctively raised, heart pounding, head throbbing, and body sore. The world became fuzzy, as she recalled the dream, the memory, the reality, past, present, future, she didn't know anymore! Everything was becoming black. She had stopped breathing. Her head was swimming in it. What was she doing? Move! One foot, then the other, forward!

She tried to run after them, tried to call their names, but fell to her knees and collapsed, sobbing. It burned. Everything burned. Yet she was cold and empty. Her skin was on fire as though someone had thrown her in a pot, and the cruelty of that someone had made her feel so worthless and alone as nothing ever had.

And then all was silent. A voice in the back of her head whispered to her, trying to guide her. She couldn't help thinking, in a rather derisive way, that it had been a little too late...


	3. Bonus: Happiness

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the content following this statement. All titles, names, and plots are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning**: The following may contain material that some viewers may not find suitable.

* * *

_Well, well. I wasn't expecting the hit count to reach so early, but I guess the ones who helped out really did a good job. Not as many reviews as I'd hoped, but I suppose a deal is a deal. I now present you with a bonus chapter to this twoshot. Also, I've got another announcement. I will be continuing the story in a series of fics. Yes, they will mostly be NaruHina, though I'm not sure what will come up. I can't release anything about the next NaruHina fic I'll be writing, but consider this an invitation to read on._

* * *

_Bonus...  
Happiness..._

* * *

His hands were very cold, even though his body was very warm. Hinata found herself wide awake at almost three in the morning, listening to Naruto's soft breathing. She shrugged a little deeper into his embrace, grinning girlishly as he stirred, muttering her name very softly, and falling asleep again.

After their escort of the Leaf Village delegate, a scrawny, middle-aged man with a good-natured, though admittedly fiery temperament, she, Naruto, and the others had all disbanded in silence. It was common for her cousin, Neji, who usually made quite a business of keeping to himself. As for Ohira, she had hardly known the man, who without doubt had a way of creeping her out.

One thing had led to another and, ultimately, she had wound up staying the night in Naruto's new home, a generous, if not slightly shabby, A-frame that sat around the edges of the village. In that regard she now found herself cuddled up against the couch where they had sat together, talking. It had mostly been a one-sided conversation, with Naruto putting in the larger half, but it had been enjoyable nonetheless. If she were to have it her way, she would stay here for the rest of her life.

He had matured so much over the years. In his absence, she had grown fonder of him. It had been a most difficult ordeal, one which she did not wish to experience again anytime soon. But he was here wasn't he? She was convinced that, if nothing else, his mere presence was a promise of his utter devotion to her. And then, Naruto's face was much more relaxed than it had been in recent days. She smiled at the thought, almost trusting in the idea that it had been she who was responsible for the boy's sudden change.

Right now, Naruto was going through a terrible hardship. Always, it had been he who had been ridiculed. By the prejudice of the elders, their children had abused and rejected him. And yet, always he was thinking of others before himself. When it came down to it, Naruto had always been the one who saved the day. Watching him struggle and squirm, working his way through it all, she had sworn to protect Naruto from any more pain.

Yawning, Hinata curled up into a little ball, inhaling his intoxicating musk. Naruto opened his eyes slowly, looking around him, and then staring at her benevolently. "Hinata," he murmured happily, clearly surprised to find her still there. She nodded reassuringly, mewling as he tickled her chin.

"Good morning, Naruto," she replied warmly, reaching out to touch his face. His chin was rough and prickly, and she found herself feeling about each of the little hairs of his developing beard. Naruto grinned, quite pleased with himself.

"I thought you wouldn't be here when I woke up," he said, his voice wavering a little bit as though the idea of it repulsed him. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and added, "I'm glad." Hinata sat up again and nibbled the dark mark on his neck.

"I think," she mumbled embarrassedly, "I'm getting used to this." Out of nothing, a loud gurgling sound shot out into the room and echoed vacantly. Naruto grunted and looked away, trying to seem oblivious. But Hinata began to laugh, covering her reddened cheeks. "So that's what woke you up!" she exclaimed teasingly, much to his chagrin. Smiling weakly, Naruto patted his stomach and swallowed.

"I'd take you out to eat," he said apologetically, "but I don't know any places open this early..." Hinata blinked quizzically. "You don't cook?" she asked. He nodded grimly. She clapped her hands together only too eagerly.

"I'd love to make you breakfast!" she declared, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

Naruto began to panic: All he had were dry ramen noodles, a few ramen ingredients, and instant ramen packages, among other things limited to the slacker life. "H-hang on, Hinata!" he yelled, "I don't think that would be such a good idea." But she was already looking through the kitchen cabinets. As he stumbled in after her, she flexed her arm and beamed.

"Don't worry, Naruto! I'll make you a breakfast you'll never forget!"

* * *

Around half an hour later, a luscious smell floated from the kitchen. Naruto, who had been too embarrassed to watch her, had been standing over the deck, watching the sky light up. His was the only house in the entire village—and Naruto had a very good view of the village from where he was—with its lights on. The eerie glow must have been a strange sight for those who went for early morning walks.

Now that he could smell it though, his mouth watered. He had never experienced anything like it. A dish so appetizing that he felt as though he were eating just from its scent. Even his stomach, which had taken to growling every minute to remind him of how hungry he was, quieted down as though to further examine the oddity.

Finally, Naruto could no longer suppress the urge to stand outside. As he moved through the sliding screen door, he caught sight of Hinata setting the table. She beamed at him again, nodding acquiescently for him to sit down. Something about that humbled him and, rather than excitedly sitting down and waiting to be served, Naruto took the silverware from Hinata's hands and began laying them out for her.

Hinata watched with a sense of awe and amazement, likely just as surprised as he was towards his new sense of manners. When he had finished with that task, he looked back at her as though expecting more to do. But she shook her head gratefully and said, "Just the food. It should be ready now."

And with that, she turned on a heel and went back into the kitchen. Somewhat disappointed, Naruto looked down at the floor and sheepishly took a seat. He could hear various clatters and bangs, and a moment later Hinata appeared clutching a great bowl of swishing soup. When she set it down he gaped. It was the biggest, most appetizing bowl of ramen he had ever laid eyes on. "W-whoa..." was all he could mutter, an understatement really.

She glowed with pride, ladling some into a bowl and setting it before Naruto, and then taking some for herself. "I... I remembered how much you like ramen, so I learned how to cook it a while back." Naruto looked at her with such a reverence that could only have been gained by pleasing the stomach, and she giggled as he threw caution to the wind and took a hearty first bite. Eventually, after much careful observation, Hinata decided that Naruto's behavior counted towards a good assessment of her cooking ability, for he eyed her gratefully without speaking while he ate. This in mind, she began consuming her bowl politely.

"It's so good," he told her bitterly, for he was nearly finished with his and clearly wanted more. "I think it might be better than Ichiraku's..." He sighed, licking his lips and picking at the last few noodles. When those too were gone, both he and Hinata stood up at the same time to take the bowl back to the kitchen. "Uh—no!" he stuttered. "I've got it, Hinata!"

But she stubbornly tried to tug it away. "Naruto, it's fine. I'm used to doing this." She smiled in understanding. Given that Naruto had lived alone most of his life, he probably felt uncomfortable not doing his own dishes. Still, he deserved a break from everything else.

Naruto's finger slipped away from the bowl, which clattered to the table when Hinata released it at around the same time. It knocked into her bowl, which was still around half full. Said bowl swayed one way, then the other, and that swung back the other way and onto the lower half of Hinata's attire. She squealed, for it was probably still somewhat hot, and leaped backwards instinctively, knocking over her chair and tripping in the process.

"Hinata! Hang on!" Naruto cried, hopping onto his chair and darting onto the wall behind her, using the rebounded to propel himself beneath Hinata's shock stunned figure. "Ufagh!" he grunted, catching and supporting her. He could feel the ramen broth draining through her clothing and into his. She glanced back at him from her restricted position, a little frightened, but more appalled than anything else.

"W-why did you catch me? I would have... w-well, I mean—um, ah—I would have been just... f-fine if you..." She ceased her babbling, for she now saw that Naruto had a look of utter fright on his face. Something about what had happened just now had scared him, she realized. Very feebly he righted her, unwrapping his arms and turning away very red faced. "N-Naruto...?" Hinata craned to get a view of his face.

"Sorry, Hinata... It's just..." Naruto took a deep breath and shook his head. Apparently, what he had wanted to say was something not to be said in front of her. If she had been a little braver, she would have pushed the issue. But after that look, Hinata felt it wouldn't be a very good gamble. She looked down at her clothes, sopping wet and smelling of chicken broth.

In an attempt to distract Naruto, who was now nervously examining the furniture and messy floor, she smoothed out her garments dramatically. "I'm filthy, Naruto," she said, looking at him daintily. "Oh, w-well I—uh..." He stumbled over his words, a little confused.

* * *

As Hinata slowly undressed, she glanced around his bathroom. It was surprisingly clean, to which she bore no complaints, though that may have been due to the fact that Naruto had bought the the residence only recently. She pulled back the shower curtains and looked over his meager toiletries:

A single white toothbrush sat on one of the hanging shelves which was supported by an airtight cup. It was accompanied by toothpaste and floss. The comb, she noticed, sat on the bathroom counter top with the lotion and an odd little jar that she presumed to be hair gel. Amusingly enough, it was unopened, though it looked like Naruto had had it for years, as it was a very old brand that she had not seen in some time. Among the other shower essentials there was a back scrub and a single bottle of shampoo.

Well, it wasn't her usual royal treatment like that in the Hyuga facilities, but she had never enjoyed the lavish treatment either. As she stepped in to turn on the water, she noticed that there weren't any towels. As the room was devoid of cabinets, everything was out in the open. She frowned, stepping out of the comfortably water and towards the door.

It was as she was opening it to speak that it abruptly swung open, knocking her backwards and onto the floor. Very shyly, Naruto, poked his head inside. "I forgot to give you a towel, so I—UH...!!" He had been expecting Hinata to be standing there, still fully clothed or, at least, already behind the solid gray shower curtains. He was wrong, however, and he could not stop his eyes from wildly raking in her beauty. Hinata stared, her hands having immediately covered her breasts. Still clutching the towel, Naruto slammed the door shut and backed against it, shuddering with a gasp and staring wide-eyed at a blank wall.

It was several minutes before Hinata knocked softly and asked for the towel. He swallowed the lump in his throat, made sure to be looked past the door, and opened it, extended said towel very hesitantly. The seconds that passed felt to him like an hour. Perhaps she was very embarrassed, for she made quite a fuss of groping around for the towel. It was likely that she was leaning her back against the door as well, for fear that he might pop in again.

Naruto felt her hand against his, and she ended all movement with a stifled gasp. He wanted to say something, to encourage her to take the towel and finish with her shower, but his tongue felt rather dry. He could only think that next to him, a naked Hinata was touching his hand. He tried to force the thought out of his mind, but could not. All that separated them was a hollow, two-inch thick door, maybe a brass doorknob if he wanted to knock that in too.

It was taking too long. Why couldn't she just hurry up and take it? The longer he held his hand in the air like that, the more he felt tempted to bust in. He wouldn't of course, but that was how he felt, being a—

The door gave way to Naruto's body. Hinata had taken a tight grasp of his wrist and dragged him in, pushing him against the counter in a way that denied him a very good view of her. But she pressed herself, albeit covered by a towel, against him, breathing heavily. He would have yelped out in surprise. He would have pushed her away. He would have closed his eyes and hurried through the door again as fast as he could. He would have, but he didn't.

For how long they remained like that, Hinata didn't know. She didn't care. She just wanted to hold him in that position for all of eternity. If that one wish could be granted, all others would be immediately satisfied. That was what she had hoped, at least. But no, simply _being_ with him wasn't enough. His mere presence wouldn't satisfy any longer. She had waited three years for him, and had longed for him. It had hurt. It had always hurt. She was tired of it hurting.

"—I don't know—!" she burst out, looking into his eyes, very confused. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and her mouth contorted very fast as she sought a good explanation for why she had done what she had. "—For some reason, I—!"

It was too hot. A strange heat was filling her body. She was sweating profusely. She longed to touch Naruto. Suddenly the world became as tiny as an obscure little box floating around in space. If she were to open the door behind her, all she would find was oblivion. But she wasn't concerned for oblivion. It was Naruto she wanted. Yes, that's what it would inevitably come down to. Naruto was the center of this. Around him, everything else seemed to gravitate, as though he could fling it into nothingness at will.

Naruto stared, unable to find words that could express that jumble of emotions. Talking about it had been one thing. Jiraiya had always been a lecher, and so seeing a girl nude certainly nothing new to him. But it was something about Hinata specifically that bothered him. Once it was time to experience it, he felt he would have liked nothing better than for some incident to occur which might rudely interrupt them. The idea made him feel very anxious.

But out here at the edge of the village, who would bother to come? He hadn't told many people that he had purchased a new house, and anyone who might go to the Lady Hokage to find out would likely have very serious business, a rarity given that he had only just returned home. So how would he respond to this?

No... It was not a question of how, but when.

That time was now. With conviction he embraced her, and with surety lifted her up along his chest, taking care to maintain the towel's standing between their bodies. He would take this slow, he decided. He kissed gently, but firmly, surprised with the ease by which she opened up.

This was heavenly... Their experiences before now couldn't possibly compare with this, not even added together. It was very different now, under the pretenses. She was freer to express herself, a privilege she had reserved for much later. In fact, Hinata hadn't given the matter very much though, but she would have loved nothing more than to go this far.

She could feel his muscles tensing eagerly beneath his clothing. Those would have to come off. Now that she had her chance, she would savor each and every moment as though it were her last. This was true food, a sustenance for hungers that went deeper than the soul itself. She acted on this decision with precision, feeling around his shirt to locate every minute detail, before unzipping his jacket. He made no protest, though offered no assistance.

Hinata curled her tongue around her lips. She gazed upon his chest, taking in each fine detail and tracking every little fiber of his physique through her nimble little fingers. He shivered and inhaled a little more sharply than he had the previous breath. Marveling at his structure, she moved about various places, eating it all up with her hands.

Eventually, and with difficulty, Hinata tore her eyes away from his upper body. She had just now noticed the throbbing lump that rose up beneath her, and blushed mere seconds after realizing exactly what it was. A little nervously Naruto offered a chuckle, but looked away when she knelt down after a moment's hesitation to undoing the buttons and straps that held them to his waste. Once she had fiddled with the wrapping around his leg, she looked up at Naruto appeasingly, and he nodded out of approval.

"Naruto," she whispered, looking scared. He returned the gesture with a warm and reassuring look, which seemed to convey support for whatever decision she would make. The outcome was straightforward: with care, Hinata removed the orange article. She tried to do it slowly in order to keep her calm, but the sight that greeted her made her abruptly drop his last remaining garment and cover her cheeks.

When she looked up at him again, he swallowed hard, resisting the urge to throw her onto the floor. Something in the air had changed, the moment she arrived at this point. Everything inside was speeding up.

"Naruto?" she said again, jerking him back into a normal pace. "I was wondering if, maybe I could..." she started, grinning and frowning and shaking her head all at once. And then, all too boldly she blurted, "If it's okay, I was hoping I could l-l-lick it!" She bent lower to avoid his stunned gaze. It took several more moments for her to recover her courage enough so as to look at him for his response. He too, seemed to be very deep in thought.

But, with a resigned sigh, he nodded and she, now feeling very conservative after her brave step forward, suddenly seemed to be unable to look anywhere towards his waste. Naruto saw the look on her face and swallowed again. "Umm, Hinata," he mumbled, "y-you don't have to do that if... if you don't want to."

Now that she was facing it, it seemed to good to be true. Of course, Hinata thought, she had never had dreams of this nature before, and they had never been so detailed over the course of a long period. Still, maybe this was a start? The possibility was always there, and so she felt afraid that she might wake up at any moment to find herself alone in her bed, the events of late having never occurred. Well if that was the case—Hinata shook off her lightheadedness and leaned forward—she would just have to go as far as she could before that happened.

_If_ it happened, she reminded herself, as she pushed her tongue out and took one tentative taste. Aside from a twitch, nothing...

Feeling emboldened, she took the pulsating shaft in one hand and placed the tip against her lip, quietly sliding upon it. To her surprise, it was much too big to go all the way in without choking. Automatically she looked at Naruto, who now kept his arms behind his back while he watched her, his face a poster board of agonizing pleasure.

She set herself a steady pace, enjoying Naruto's grunts, which surfaced from time to time and were often followed by a frightening though quite enjoyable poke inward. In the process, she found that she could fit more and more, until at last Naruto grabbed her head and squirmed. She squeaked helplessly and released her hold over him, closing her eyes as a pleasantly warm and bitter liquid filled her mouth.

Once it passed he let out a panting sigh of relief, looking over Hinata's apple red face ashamedly. But she shuddered with an inner delight and swallowed visibly, beaming at him as though she had just walked for the first time. He did not move, afraid that, in the excitement, he might lose control over himself. But Hinata, with her own ideas, returned to his torso to clean up the remnants of that strange little nectar.

When she was finished she stood up, glancing questioningly at the shower, and then at Naruto, who reached for the curtain and rolled it back further. She stepped inside, taking his hand as he followed her, and they embraced each other in lip lock. The water had become colder, as it had been running the entire time. In no time at all, hot water streamed down their bare bodies.

If Hinata had been aroused earlier, foreplay had magnified that intense desire so greatly that, less than two minutes into the shower she moaned breathlessly, "I want it, Naruto. I want it right now...!" She bit his neck and stepped backwards into the wall, anchoring her arms around his neck and hoisting her legs around his body. She rubbed herself against him zealously, her teeth gnashing harder as electrical signals carried impulses of pleasure to her brain.

But nothing could have prepared Naruto for this. It was completely unforeseen that Hinata would have a libido such as this. His eyes traveled from her face to her seam, and then to her face again in worry. "Are you sure about this, Hinata? I mean, using your—" he mumbled the next word, "—is one thing, but your virginity is another."

The words struck her from a distance. She looked down at herself, her mind becoming utterly confused. She hadn't thought very hard on this subject. The term "going to lengths" was easy enough without definitions, but fine print was a very different matter. In going through with this, she would be marked forever, never to be the old Hinata again.

But she wasn't the old Hinata! This was Naruto, the boy she had pitied, then admired, then loved! This was Naruto, who had gone for nearly three years, and could vanish again at any moment! She had pined for him, longed for a moment like this! She was not about to let the opportunity slip through her fingers.

Wiping her head of all doubtful whispers, she glared at Naruto with such a blazing fire in her eyes that he instantly drew towards her, meeting her lips and pushing her against the edge of the shower. She straddled him more securely, pressing her sex nervously against his, but never quite following through. He did nothing to speed the process. She would do what she had to do in time, when she was ready. And then, it was upon him. She slid around him with ease, slowing as her muscles tightened in response, and then felt a hard resistance snap, and began to burn with pain. "NARUTO!" she screamed, breaking out into hysterical sobs and sinking her teeth into his neck hard. So hard, in fact, that she could no longer tell whose blood it was sinking down the drain. That was comforting...

She felt his hands tighten and release periodically, likely due to the fact that her teeth were conducting them. With each twitch, they sank a little deeper. But the pain was receding very quickly. Fanning out from their adjoined portions, she felt a sliver of pleasure shoot into her. She responded to this with a gasp, which separated her from Naruto's neck and plastered her back to the wall. The water was too cold, or maybe she was too hot. Hinata started grinding her waste slowly, inhaling and exhaling, in and out, back and forth, one, two, one, two, one two...

"Ah! Haah! Ungh!" She writhed ecstatically, rolling her eyes around and around behind her shut eyelids. "Naruto!" she begged, "Push it in more!" For he was refusing to proceed beyond an area in which it became so tight that he might have hurt her again. When he did not respond, she squeezed her legs very tightly against him, forcing that great organ all the way in. She shrieked as he erupted into a monstrous fury, crying her name as he surrendered all of his will to her eyes and voice.

This was too good! It had to be a sin to feel this much... bliss. Perhaps this was some forbidden art, or maybe she really was dreaming. "NARUTO!" she wailed, their voices rising above one another as the point of climax drew closer and closer. "IF YOU GO ON LIKE THIS, NARUTO, I'LL—I'LL—GYAHAAAA!"

She kissed him angrily, extending her tongue as far as it would go, and further. Even muffled, her cries resounded along the bathroom as though she had spoken into a microphone. With increasing gusto they bore into one another, the water running over their bodies like their eyes, their tongues, their hands. Suddenly Naruto looked at her wildly. "Hinata! I think I'm going to—"

"—It's okay, Naruto! Go ahead! Naruto—OH! HAAAAAH!!"

She convulsed as though she were possessed, slipping out of Naruto's grip and pushing hard against both him and the wall behind her. She would die, she thought, as her eyes rolled back into her head, die of pleasure and love and lust and desire. Every fiber in her body screamed in ecstasy. The searing hot acid that had been pooling beneath her legs now flooded out of her as though a great door opened. At the same time, she felt Naruto swell inside until she could see his outline beneath her skin, and a great sticky and slimy fluid invaded her. She passed out, the world fading around her, awakening to the sound of Naruto's significantly eased breaths.

* * *

They remained very still for a long time. Hinata fidgeted nervously, her sense of modesty restored to her, now that the deep hunger had been fed. His massive organ continued to beat inside of her, and she twitched uneasily every time a small amount of it oozed out of her. In truth, it felt so good that her muscles, sore from the orgasm, cramped up painfully every time she felt it. But she stared into his tired, defeated eyes, much happier than she had been before.

After a while they stood up together, leaning over one another and assisting in their bathing. When they finished they stepped outside, Hinata wrapped with the towel, while Naruto led the way into his bedroom where they made love for several more hours. And when they had finished they lay sated in each other's arms, Hinata struggling to keep her eyes open, afraid that if she fell asleep he would not be there.

Inevitably, they both fell asleep in the sunrise. For a moment, Naruto hesitated on pulling her to his chest. But Hinata answered that query with a cute little mewl, an indistinct mumble, and a roll right onto his body. He smiled, running his fingers through her hair and sinking into that dark abyss.

* * *

Dry leaves and sticks gave way beneath their feet with a satisfying crunch. Naruto's eyes strayed to the buildings ahead, which made up the outer edge of the village. He marched onward as though towards a future only he and Hinata could see. Nevertheless, as they went along, side by side, he could not help smiling somewhat as she hummed a little tune and snuggled his arm. She had her eyes closed, and she seemed almost to be purring, though from time to time she would gaze upon him with the utmost lust.

Sakura froze in mid step, transfixed by the sight. She observed the couple from a distance, watched them share a kiss in the morning light. Naruto seemed very different now—so much more proud in a way that didn't write itself all over the walls. And Hinata, who always came across as such an easy little thing to push over, now appeared much older and less naive. Both were suddenly so very distant and unreachable. A tiny little pang filled her heart.

Before they could spot her, she quickly darted into the trees and limited her chakra flow, waiting for one of them to run up to her and yell "April Fools". But as they passed, she spotted a shadow appearing a few feet away. The tall and familiar figure swung around slowly and yawned. Naruto and Hinata turned about to face him, Hinata continuing to cling to his arm. She clutched it more tightly and blushed, trying to avoid Kakashi Hatake's curious glances. With a piercing glare, Naruto called his attention.

"Ah, yes," he murmured, raising his head plate to goggle at Hinata as though he could not quite believe it.

"Well, this is convenient," he went on, coughing. "Now I don't have to make two trips. You've been summoned before the Lady Hokage. _Both_ of you," he added, still focusing on Hinata. Naruto nodded stiffly, clearly annoyed at the prospect of being bothered at such a time, and continued to walk towards the village, Hinata hugging his arm more closely than ever. Kakashi scratched his head an looked on, a little amused.

"There was a reason that Neji took his team ahead," he said aloud, to no one in particular. Sakura blinked. Since when had Kakashi-sensei talked to himself? He interrupted her thoughts, looking in direction opposite hers. "It was so that you and Naruto might settle your differences. I guess he didn't like the idea of the heiress of the main branch falling in love so soon. Oh, well. I'll see you around, Sakura."

She gasped and ran back to the path. "Wait, Kakashi! What d'you mean—" But he was gone. She fell to her knees, flabbergasted. "Too late," she murmured, once the sun had begun to burn her neck. She stood up and looked at Naruto's house, which seemed now extremely inviting. She would have liked to go inside, but shook her head again, muttering nonsensically, "Always a little too late..."


End file.
